Like many children, I (Nikoo) was a voracious reader growing up, and my favorite books were those in which I could see myself. I was born in Iran. My parents were Muslim, but we also had family members who practiced Judaism, Christianity, and Bahá’í, and we had our share of atheists. We respected and embraced all beliefs. My initial awareness of a lack of representation in literature happened when I was attending college in the U.S., and later when Jim and I were raising our two sons, also voracious readers.
What happens when the books children read are full of people who look nothing like themselves, whose families look nothing like theirs, and whose stories—while they might be otherwise relatable—don’t include people they can identify with?
In 2012, Columbia University in New York hosted “The Muslim Protagonist: Write Your Own Story,” its first annual symposium for Muslim writers, scholars, and filmmakers. By then, as authors of more than 30 books, we were honored to be invited to speak and take part in a panel discussion in a packed auditorium.
For us, the symposium marked what we hoped was the beginning of a sea change in publishing. And since then, there have been many changes. Mainstream traditional publishers are featuring more and more titles by Muslim writers, with stories about characters whose heritage can include nations and cultures that are not necessarily “Western”’ or Judeo-Christian. Stereotypes and literary tropes that have existed for decades are being identified, if not challenged.
So, do these changes affect us as working novelists? Are these changes just elements of a temporary “wokeness” in America? Or do they indicate movement toward more permanent change, more permanent awareness, more permanent inclusiveness? […]